HEATHLANDS VETERINARY HOSPITAL Ltd.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

Thank you  for entrusting the care of your pets to us. This screen details our standard terms and conditions of business and  we  would ask you to read  it carefully. If you require   clarification on any  points, please contact us on 01929 462535

FEES
All fees are subject to vat at the current rate. Fees are determined by the length of time we spend on a case as well as the drugs and consumable items used. The cost of any surgery includes one free post operative check but does not include the cost of any further checks, dressings, consumables or drugs used.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Settlement is due at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs or diets. We accept cash and the following debit/credit cards - Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa.

ESTIMATES OF COSTS

We will happily provide an estimate for any treatment plan. However, please bear in mind that any estimate can only be approximate - often a pet's illness will not follow a typical course. It is best to leave  a contact number so that we can contact you if a  procedure  looks  set to  exceed an estimate- we  will do this if a  procedure looks likely to  exceeds the estimate  by 20% or more.

REPEAT EXAMINATIONS

With the exception of a few simple problems, such as urinary incontinence, it is practice policy that any animal with an ongoing illness is re-assessed by a vet at intervals of not more than 3 months. Regular monitoring of these cases ensures that we comply with the appropriate medicine's legislation and that best results are achieved. We will not supply repeat prescriptions for chronic disease problems unless your pet has been seen in the last 3 months by a vet.

OUT OF HOURS COVER

We supply an out-of-hours emergency service from the Winfrith Hospital. This is accessed by telephoning our usual number on 01929 - 462535. We charge an additional fee for out-of-hours consultations as this service is run at a considerable loss to  the practice. The minimum out-of-hours consultation fee is  £94.70 but  we give a discount  of £50 off this charge to regular users of the  practice. A regular user is defined  as a client who have brought one of their animals to us within the previous two years. Please note that Saturday consultations  and consultations during the Sunday morning emergency clinic are charged at the basic rate of £14.92 (August 2006 price).

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

We strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accident. We would strongly recommend that you take out insurance that offers cover for life. Some cheaper policies will stop after one year and will not cover long-term illness such as joint problems or chronic skin disease. Unfortunately, under the Financial Services Act, we are unable to offer specific recommendations as to particular insurance policies.

Please note that it is your responsibility to settle your account with Heathlands and then reclaim the fees from the insurance company.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

Case records, including x-rays and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by Heathlands Veterinary Hospital Limited. We make a charge for carrying out investigations and interpreting their results but the ownership of the resulting record, for example an x-ray photograph, remains with the practice. Copies with a relevant history will be passed onto another Veterinary surgeon taking over a Heathlands case as required. We make no charge for this service.

PRESCRIPTIONS

We are happy to fill out a prescription for you if you wish to purchase medicines from another source. If the prescription if for a chronic disease, we will only do so if your pet has been seen in the last 3 months by one of our vets.

COMPLAINTS

We hope that you will never have cause to complain about our service. However, if you are unhappy about any aspect of your pet's care please direct your comments to Alan B. Sim, Heathlands Veterinary Hospital Ltd., Winfrith, Dorset, DT2 8DD

No person employed by the practice, or contracted to them, has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.